Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce)
Crème anglaise is a stirred custard cooked to exactly 82 degrees Celsius on a thermometer, or to the moment when it coats a wooden spoon and holds a line drawn through the coating with a finger. These two tests agree at the same temperature. The yolks are the thickening agent: their proteins begin to coagulate around 70 degrees Celsius and set fully above 85 degrees Celsius, at which point the sauce curdles. Sugar dissolved into the yolks before cooking raises this threshold slightly. Tempering, adding a small amount of hot cream to the yolks before combining everything in the pot, prevents the shock of sudden heat from causing the yolks to scramble on contact. The finished sauce is strained through a fine mesh sieve and cooled quickly by setting the container in an ice bath, which stops carryover cooking. It should be pourable, smooth, and lightly viscous, coating everything it touches with a thin, silky layer. The richness comes entirely from the yolks and the cream.
Instructions
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Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and slightly thick, about 1 minute.
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Heat milk with the vanilla bean (pod and seeds) and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not boil.
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Slowly pour about half the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the yolks so they do not scramble.
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Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula in a figure-eight pattern.
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The custard is done when it reaches 170°F to 175°F and coats the back of the spoon — draw your finger through it and the line should hold. Do not let it boil.
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Immediately strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Remove the vanilla pod (if using extract, add it now). Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold.
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